Philippine marines killed a top al-Qaida-linked militant commander and five other extremists today in an assault on a rebel camp on a southern island, a senior military officer said.

Albader Parad, a wanted militant leader was among the dead following a raid on a camp belonging to the Abu Sayyaf group outside Maimbung township on Jolo island, said Lieutenant General Benjamin Dolorfino, head of the military's western Mindanao command.

"It's a very significant gain in our campaign against terrorism because we all know that Albader Parad is one of the influential leaders [of the Abu Sayyaf]," he told the Associated Press. "This will have a very big demoralising effect on the other members and shows that they cannot hide forever from the arms of the law."

Government troops first encountered Parad's group late on Saturday and caught up with them at the encampment early today, he said.

One marine was killed and three others were wounded in the clash, a marines spokesman said.

The recovery of the dead militants and their weapons indicated the Abu Sayyaf gunmen were caught by surprise and could have suffered more casualties since it was unusual for them to leave the bodies of dead comrades behind, Dolorfino said.

He said a 30-man marine platoon was backed by other troops deployed to block the escape of the militants from their encampment on Jolo, where the militants have operated for years despite a US-backed military campaign against them.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has about 400 fighters, has been blamed for numerous bombings, beheadings and kidnappings of Filipinos and foreigners. It is believed to have received funds from al-Qaida and is on a US list of terrorist organisations.

Parad is accused of the abduction of three International Red Cross workers on Jolo early last year. The three – a Filipino, a Swiss and an Italian – were eventually freed by the militants.